Manchester United are “more likely” to sign Lyon striker Moussa Dembele in January than someone like Tammy Abraham, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.
The Red Devils are on the hunt for a striker in the January window following Cristiano Ronaldo’s unceremonious departure from Old Trafford, with Jones previously telling GMS that Dembele and Abraham were potential targets.
What’s the latest news involving Dembele and United?
With 24 goals across all competitions last season, Ronaldo finished the 2021/22 campaign as United’s top scorer, but the 37-year-old failed to impress new boss ten Hag. Handed just four Premier League starts before departing the club, Ronaldo’s second coming at Old Trafford may be over but its impact is still being felt at the club.
United, now without a recognised centre forward, are scouring the January market in search of a new striker. It’s a position that ten Hag has openly spoken about, with the Dutch manager telling the club website in mid-December that United would only settle for “the right player”.
It had looked as if that player would end up being PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo, who United were heavily linked with and had been rumoured to be preparing a bid. Instead, the Netherlands international put pen to paper on a deal worth up to £45 million with Liverpool, reducing United’s potential options even further.
While the Gakpo snub poses more questions about the legitimacy of United’s recruitment policy, it leaves ten Hag’s side scratching the bargain bucket with the window now open. One name emerging as a potential option for the North West-based outfit is Lyon’s Moussa Dembele, with reports in France suggesting the forward could be on his way to Manchester.
What’s Jones said about Dembele and United?
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones has hinted that United may be forced to turn to Dembele in the January window with Media Foot reporting he could be gettable for United and the Glazers for just €8m-10m (£7m-9m) with his contract due to run out this summer.
“Moussa Dembele is possibly more likely [than Tammy Abraham] given his contract situation at the moment.
“But still, it doesn’t directly fit with the loan or cheap buy narrative being set up by United.”
What would Dembele offer United?
A product of the Fulham youth academy, Dembele impressed for the west London outfit, before moving to Celtic in 2016. Just over 50 goals in 94 appearances later, Dembele swapped Glasgow for Lyon in a deal worth £20 million, where he’s remained ever since.
Capable of scoring a variety of different goals, Dembele has netted 69 times for Lyon in just over 150 matches, with the 26-year-old now tipped to leave the Groupama Stadium. A natural striker, Dembele, who pockets a reported £52,000 each week, could provide the solution for Ten Hag at the tip of his attack.
With plenty of wide options, including the in-form duo Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, the arrival of a centre-forward could be one of the final pieces in Ten Hag’s United jigsaw.
Man Utd eye cut-price January transfer after Erik ten Hag’s World Cup scouting mission
Marcus Thuram could be set for a move to Manchester United in January as Erik ten Hag tries to bolster his attacking options ahead of the second half of the season
Manchester United are reportedly leading the race to sign Marcus Thuram in a cut-price deal from Borussia Monchengladbach in the January transfer window.
The Red Devils are desperate to sign a striker this month following the acrimonious departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in November. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has since made a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia side Al-Nassr, where he is expected to earn around £173million per year – the most valuable contract in world football.
Erik ten Hag’s side have moved on from the Ronaldo saga and are targeting a move for France star Thuram after he impressed at the World Cup. Anthony Martial is the Red Devils’ only out-and-out senior striker, although Marcus Rashford can also play through the middle if required.
According to German outlet BILD, Thuram is ready to join United in January as Ten Hag tries to bolster his forward line ahead of what will be a hectic second half of the season. The 25-year-old’s deal expires at the end of the season and Monchengladbach are weighing up whether to cash in on the forward rather than losing him for free in the summer.
It has been reported that United could snap him up in a deal worth around £10.6m due to his fragile contract situation, with the attacker supposedly not willing to sign a new deal. Aston Villa and Newcastle are also amongst the interested parties but the player would prefer a move to either Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain or the Red Devils – Thuram’s four ‘dream’ destinations.
Thuram is also set to change agents as he enters the final six months of his contract in attempt to move to one of those four teams. But United are supposedly the likeliest of the quartet to seal a move for Thuram, given their need to sign a forward.
Marcus Thuram in action for Borussia Monchengladbach ( Image: Getty Images)
The Italy-born striker has scored 10 times and grabbed three assists in 15 Bundesliga appearances this season and took that form into the World Cup with France. Although he started just one game in Qatar, Thuram made a huge difference from the bench and helped turn the tide in the final against Argentina.
France were losing 2-0 until Didier Deschamps made a bold decision to make two changes in the 40th minute, with Randal Kolo Muani and Thuram coming on for Olivier Giroud and Ousmane Dembele. It was a move that paid dividends as Les Bleus clawed themselves back into the game and took Argentina to penalties, with Thuram providing the assist for Kylian Mbappe’s second goal.
After his impressive showing at the World Cup, Thuram could be set for a move to United and Ten Hag’s men have been given the green light from the player to open talks with Monchengladbach. The United boss claimed last week that they are looking for “good” players and not just numbers as he looks to add to his ranks.
Ten Hag said: “We need good players, not just the numbers. We need quality players to cover and also we need competition and we need to know also that we can make different choices. So, we are looking for the right player for our squad, but it has to match our sporting criteria, definitely, but also some financial criteria.”
Source: givemesport.com; mirror.co.uk
